Serendipitous
by NutellaHeaven
Summary: Courtney's life would have been much less complicated had she not met Maxie. But she doesn't regret the path she eventually took to be by his side.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: After suffering from a massive case of writer's block, I decided that I wanted to write a story about Team Magma Admin Courtney. I always liked her, and I found her relationship with Maxie in Pokémon Omega Ruby to be quite touching. This story probably won't be super long, but I wanted to write a bit about Courtney's past as well as how she met and grew to admire Maxie. That being said, there will be some implied Authorityshipping. Anyways, I hope you guys like this story!**

* * *

Courtney wasn't quite sure what had compelled her to take a walk on Jagged Pass that day.

Truthfully, it wasn't the ideal area for a casual stroll. The land was rocky and uneven. Only the occasional picnicker or hiker bothered to tread the rough terrain for pleasure. For others, it was merely an inconvenience that had to be dealt with if you lived in Lavaridge and wanted to take the trolley car to Mauville.

But Courtney always liked the quiet and calm atmosphere of Jagged Pass. Perhaps she was feeling a bit stressed that morning, and instinctively wanted a breath of fresh air before going to help out her grandmother at her lava cookie shop. And she just happened to wander off to Jagged Pass.

Yes, she was sure that it was just a coincidence that she went to Jagged Pass.

A pure coincidence.

After all, no other explanation made sense.

It wasn't if she could have predicted their meeting...

Well, no matter what the reason, there was one indisputable fact; Courtney found herself at the base of Jagged Pass that cool morning, with her mightyena in tow.

She glanced up at the sky for a moment, briefly relishing in the crisp winter breeze. The sun hung low in the sky, but the air felt refreshing against her fair skin.

"It's nice today..." Courtney noted aloud, as her canine companion barked in agreement. She gestured to him with her hand as she climbed onto a ledge. "Come along... Mightyena."

The pair treaded slowly, watching their steps carefully. As a resident of Lavaridge, Courtney was already familiar with the area. Still, she knew that even the locals had to show some caution when climbing up and down Jagged Pass. That didn't stop her from admiring her surroundings a bit. Mightyena seemed to also be enjoying himself as he grinned and trotted beside her happily.

Courtney could tell that, as per usual, Jagged Pass was practically empty. As far as she could see, there were no other people; There were only jagged layers of bare bedrock and the occasional patches of dusty grass. The area was also deadly silent, save for the sound of Courtney and her mightyena's footsteps. She wasn't complaining, though. She quite enjoyed solitude, and the mountain was much more relaxing this way.

As Courtney strolled along, she opened her palm so she could watch the falling ash accumulate in her palm. Some people thought that the perpetual rain of ash on Jagged Pass was a nuisance, but Courtney sort of liked it. Since the winters in Lavaridge were mild, the ash was the closest thing Courtney had to snow. Playing in the ash and pretending it was snow was a guilty pleasure she partook in as a child. She tipped her hand so she could observe the pile of ash on her fall slowly to the ground.

The nostalgia she felt as she watched the ash fall was soothing. Almost therapeutic.

She shuffled along after a few seconds.

Courtney paused and sighed after ascending a few more rocky ledges. She never considered herself an athletic person, but she had almost climbed up the entire hill while she was musing to herself. Her legs felt a bit heavy with fatigue.

"Mightyena, let's rest... For a second," Courtney said between deep breaths. Mightyena looked confused as he glanced up at her with wide eyes, but he quickly obeyed and plopped himself on the ground by her feet. Meanwhile, Courtney sat down on a sturdy boulder as she waited for her heart beat to calm down.

She peered up at the sky, squinting so she could focus beyond the falling ash that slightly obscured her view. When she had last checked, the sun was just barely above the horizon. It hung much higher in the sky, now. She could feel some of the bright rays on her face.

A sudden realization dawned on Courtney. What time was it? She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she hadn't thought to keep track of the time.

She fumbled with her red wool sweater, searching through the pocket with both of her hands. Nothing. Her eyes quickly scanned the ground, but she was pretty sure she would have noticed if a hard metallic object fell out of her pocket.

Her heart sank. Did she forget her pokénav at home?

Courtney mentally berated herself for forgetting something so important. How could she have been so careless? For Arceus's sake, she was seventeen! She was more responsible than that...

She stood up abruptly, startling her mightyena, whose eye darted around wildly.

"Relax, we're not in danger," Courtney reassured him. "But... We should go home now. I forgot my pokénav."

Mightyena looked a bit crestfallen, but he lifted himself off of the ground without a fuss. As he began to follow Courtney on her way down the ledge, she felt a bit guilty. "Sorry, Mightyena... We'll come again tomorrow, I promise."

Courtney's comment seemed to brighten Mightyena's mood. He perked up almost instantly and he barked excitedly. She turned her head towards Mightyena and observed the obvious delight on his face.

Her lips curled into a small smile as she focused her attention back on the ledge in front of her. "You look happy, Mightyena. I'm gla..."

Courtney's voice trailed off as something in the distance caught her eye. Or rather, it was someone. A young man, to be precise.

Mightyena apparently noticed as well, because he remained silent and simply gaped beside her.

In a placed like Jagged Pass, the man certainly stood out like a sore thumb, especially with his head of crimson hair. Even considering his bright hair, Courtney and Mightyena might have disregarded him if he seemed like just a random hiker.

But he clearly wasn't a hiker.

From a distance, she could tell that he donned a white lab coat over a simple dress shirt and pants that were quickly being sullied by the falling ash. He also had the largest pair of glasses she had ever seen perched on the bridge of his nose.

He looked like a professor or some sort... Maybe a scientist. Certainly not the kind of person Courtney would expect to see on Jagged Pass. She watched the stranger as he ascended a few ledges and gradually came closer to her.

As he approached, she spotted a gray thermos in his hand and she caught the faint scent of black coffee. She also saw that his brown shoes were tarnished like his attire. He didn't seem to mind though.

Appearance-wise, the man seemed a little odd. Not necessarily in a bad way... But odd nonetheless.

Courtney blinked, realizing that she had been staring a bit too intensely at the man. She felt a bit embarrassed, praying silently that he didn't notice her gaze.

She forced herself to keeping climbing down, and Mightyena swiftly followed her lead. She felt like the atmosphere had dropped ten degrees. How strange.

As the man passed her, he didn't show any indication that he noticed that she was there. Courtney had intended to do the same, keeping her head down purposely. However, while he passed, Courtney saw something shiny attached to his left wrist.

A wristwatch.

She wondered if it was wise to stop him. He was staring intently ahead, so he was probably heading for an important destination. He was probably a very busy man. But...

Courtney turned around. "Pardon me..."

The man stopped walking upon hearing Courtney's voice. He seemed to hesitate at first, but he ultimately decided to turn around so he was facing her directly.

It was then that she saw her first clear view of the stranger's face.

His facial features were sharp, but he had dark circles under his eyes. He didn't looked aged or old by any means, but he seemed a bit stressed. Maybe overworked.

She also noted that he was noticeably taller than her. Then again, she was fairly short, so perhaps he was merely of average height, but he seemed tall in comparison to her.

But she was taken aback the most by his piercing grey eyes. They were the exact color of stratus clouds during a stormy day, and his stare was so intense... She wondered if she was intimidated or fascinated.

Overall though, he practically radiated an aura of authority... She wasn't quite sure what to think about him. She was just simply awestruck.

"Do you need something, Miss?" The man questioned her. His voice was smooth and had a hint of sophistication to it, and his tone was calm and polite. With that kind of voice, he would make a stellar hypnotist. Or a con man.

Courtney quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat before speaking. "I was wondering... Do you know the time?"

The man raised an eyebrow before he checked the numbers on his wristwatch. "Quarter to eleven."

Courtney exhaled as she felt a surge of relief. If she hurried, she would be at the shop before noon.

"Ah... Thank you," she said, trying to ignore the slight tension hanging in the air. The man's facial expression was stiff and unreadable, but at least he didn't seem annoyed by her.

Social interaction was never her forte...

"There's no need to thank me. It was a simple gesture," he told her.

There were a few moments of awkward silence before the man asked, "Is that all, Miss?"

"Yes," she replied quickly, avoiding eye contact in an effort to dispel some of the uncomfortable tension. She focused her attention on her feet.

"Very well then." The man adjusted his glasses before turning around. "I'll be on my way now, if you don't mind."

"Of course..." After all, Courtney had to get going as well. She quickly turned around so she couldn't see where the man was heading, and after a minute or so, his footsteps faded into silence. She didn't look behind her, but if she did, he would probably already be out of sight.

She heard a low growl. Mightyena had watched the short exchange a few inches away, and he cocked his head to one side. He looked at Courtney questioningly.

"It's okay, Mightyena... Let's go..." Courtney ordered gently. "We'll be late if we don't hurry."

Mightyena nodded and then proceeded to accompany Courtney down the rocky steps. He seemed to forget the red-haired stranger so easily, trotting along in a carefree manner, but it was as easy for Courtney.

She could still recall his grey eyes drilling metaphorical holes into her composure. She had never met a man quite like him. He seemed so formidable...

But maybe she was just exaggerating... She was so used to spending a lot of time with the elderly population of Lavaridge Town that anyone who wasn't over the age of fifty naturally seemed a bit strange to her. Besides, she didn't even know his name. How then did she expect to be an accurate judge of his character?

Courtney decided. There was no logical reason to keep dwelling on that man. She had to focus on work in about an hour anyway. So she pushed those distracting thoughts into the back of her mind, hoping to forget them as soon as possible.

She saw the bottom of Jagged Pass come into view.

It wasn't as if she would see that man again, anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

The following days passed in monotonous succession.

Courtney visited Jagged Pass to take strolls with Mightyena each morning, as per her typical routine, but she didn't spot that red-haired stranger again. It wasn't as if she went there PURPOSELY searching for him. She merely made the observation that she and Mightyena were the only ones on Jagged Pass each time she went.

She tried not to think too much into it. It was heavily unlikely that he was a local. He was probably just a tourist or a traveler passing through the area. It would explain why she didn't know him at all. Lavaridge Town was such a small community that pretty much every resident could recognize each other by face, if not by name. That being said, if she had seen him before, she certainly would have recognized him.

So by the time a week passed, Courtney had all but forgotten about him.

She carried on with her daily and weekly activities as usual.

"Business is slow today," Courtney's grandmother commented aloud as she swept the wooden floors of the lava cookie shop. Courtney was seated at the front counter, leaning over a piping-hot cup of green tea. She sighed as she looked up to survey the empty tables and chairs.

"Yeah," she agreed, before lifting her cup and gingerly taking a sip. "But it's always slow on Sunday..."

Her grandmother smiled. "Well, it would be nice to have at least ONE customer. Oh well! We'll probably have more business tomorrow."

"Hopefully." Courtney finished her tea and set the cup to the side. She looked down at the floor where Mightyena was snoozing peacefully. He appeared to have a cluster of cookie crumbs around his jaw, which made Courtney smile in amusement.

The lava cookie shop was small, but it was cozy and quaint. Mightyena loved to take naps on the floor while she and her grandmother worked. He would sleep like a baby for hours.

But sometimes business was so incredibly lacking that Courtney had to resist falling asleep herself. Not that she would ever dream of falling asleep in the middle of work! She willingly chose to spend her weekends helping out since she didn't have much better to do. Still, her head began to loll to the side as she drummed her fingers on the counter.

There hadn't been a single customer for the past two hours. It bothered her a bit that she wasn't doing anything productive during that time.

Courtney sighed and stood up. She reached behind her back so she could tug at the straps that were holding her white apron in place. Once she had loosened the apron, she folded the material neatly and placed it on the stool that she was just sitting on.

"Grandma, can I take my break now...?" she asked. "We're not busy..."

Upon hearing Courtney's request, her grandmother stopped sweeping for a moment so she could glance at the small analog clock hanging on the wall.

One o'clock.

"Well, I suppose that's okay," her grandmother replied, pausing in her sweeping. "I'll watch Mightyena for you, while you're gone."

"That would be nice."

"Just leave it to me, dear." She watched Courtney head over to the door. "Are you heading off to the local library again?"

Courtney turned her head towards her grandmother and nodded. "You know me well, Grandma..."

Her grandma chuckled before resuming her sweeping and saying, "You've only been living with me for fifteen years!"

Courtney smiled and she felt relieved that her grandmother neglected to mention her late father. That was another reason why her grandmother knew her so perfectly. She knew that the topic made Courtney uncomfortable.

"That's true," Courtney said before opening the front door. "...I'm leaving now."

"Be back by five, alright?" Her grandmother called. "I know you like your books, but don't get carried away!"

"Okay, Grandma," she replied.

And with that, Courtney stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Courtney liked Jagged Pass.

But she preferred the local library in Lavaridge much more.

Even though the building was small, the shelves were tall and overflowing with all sorts of reading material. From encyclopedias to fiction to non-fiction, the library seemed to have just about everything.

After politely waving to the librarian seated behind a large and cluttered desk, Courtney made a beeline for the non-fiction section. When she reached the first shelf labeled "non-fiction", she immediately headed down the aisle.

Since she came to the library regularly, she fingered through several books that she had already read. She had already browsed several other books and found no interest in them. Usually, she ignored the history books and paid a bit more attention to the scientific books.

Courtney didn't discriminate between different topics of science though. Whether it was chemistry or physics, she always at least browsed a book about science. They just naturally drew her attention and provoked her interest, ever since she was a small girl.

Courtney craned her neck so she could look upwards. Surely there had to be something interesting here that she hasn't read yet.

At first, she didn't see anything that caught her eye. There were some books about the anatomy of an oddish and its evolutionary line. Then there was a book about the rare crystal onix.

"Hmm...?" Courtney walked closer to the shelf and peered at the title written on a book with mahogany binding.

The Biology of Evolution.

She never noticed that book here before. It sounded interesting enough, though.

Courtney tried to reach for the book with her right hand, but she soon realized that she couldn't reach it even with her arm fully extended. What was even more frustrating was that her fingers just barely grazed the binding, yet she was unable grasp the whole book.

She frowned after a few more attempts. It was pretty much pointless to keep trying because it would be impossible for her to reach the book without some sort of elevation.

She quickly glanced around. Surely there had to be a stepladder somewhere... She knew that the librarian kept a couple around, but there didn't appear to be any nearby..

How unfortunate.

Courtney turned to her left, intending to walk away so she could go search for a stepladder. It would be a hassle, but it was minor so she supposed it had to be done.

"Excuse me." Courtney was startled a bit as she heard a masculine voice behind her. She turned her head around abruptly to look at who had addressed her.

Time seemed to slow down as she looked at the individual in front of her. All of a sudden, she could feel the tension in the room multiply.

Her violet eyes met the man's sharp grey orbs.

It was HIM.

She was absolutely sure of it. She would never mistake those eyes or that head of red hair. Nor would she fail to recognize those large, thick-framed glasses. He was even wearing the same attire from before, except that none of the articles of clothing were stained with ash! The only thing she could discern as different was that he wasn't holding a gray thermos of coffee.

The man seemed to recognize her as well, because she saw both of his eyebrows raise in unison as he studied her face. However, other than the temporary chance in his facial expression, he didn't make an effort to show that he recognized her. She wondered what thoughts were going through his mind.

Neither of them said anything for at least a full minute, though it felt like so much longer. Courtney didn't think it was possible for the atmosphere to become anymore awkward, but she couldn't bring herself to break the silence.

"If you don't mind, could you step aside for a moment?" The man spoke, after what seemed like an eternity. Courtney was still in slight shock, but she managed to nod and step aside just enough for him to reach a particular section on the bookshelf. "Thank you."

Courtney watched him reach for a book on the top shelf, which he did with more success than her. He plucked a book off of the shelf, but she didn't bother to look at which book he chose.

She was fully aware of the fact that she was staring and she knew it was impolite to stare. Especially at a stranger.

But the coincidence of seeing him again still had her surprised.

Because it was just a lucky coincidence.

Right?

"Here." Before Courtney could register what was happening, a mahogany book was thrust towards her hands.

"...Huh?" Courtney's mind took a few moments to register what the man was holding out to her. The Biology of Evolution. "How did you...?"

"You seemed to be struggling to reach this," he explained while adjusting his glasses. Courtney hesitated for a moment before reaching out and taking the book from the man's grip.

She looked at the book with awe. "Thank you..." she managed to mumble.

"There's no need to thank me," he insisted as he reached onto the shelf for another book. "It was a simple gesture."

"..." Courtney clutched the book against her chest and took an intense interest in her footwear. She wasn't sure how to respond, so she simply kept her mouth shut and didn't say anything. If the man noticed her silence, he didn't show any indication that he did.

She turned away from him, embarrassed at her own immature behavior. She had already spent an irrational amount of time gawking at a stranger. There was a perfectly good book in her hands, so what was she waiting for?

As she began to walk away, she simultaneously opened the front cover of the mahogany book.

Acknowledgements... This book is dedicated to-

She didn't even finish reading the acknowledgements.

"Is science an interest of yours?" Courtney froze.

Was he trying to start a conversation with her? She looked around before facing the man and pointing to herself.

"Me...?"

"Yes, I was addressing you." She bit her lip when she heard the man's response. To be honest, she would much prefer to be reading than conversing with others. Still, some idle chit-chat wouldn't KILL her...

She gently shut the book in her hands.

"Um... you're correct. Science interests me," she answered. "Why do you ask...?"

"It was merely out of curiosity." He plucked a thick book off of the shelf. From the elaborate cover illustration, Courtney assumed that it was about volcanic eruptions. "This library does have quite a variety of science-related material, though."

"Yeah... I've read almost all of them..."

"Is that so? You must come here often," he noted.

"I do." Courtney could think of a million questions that she wanted to ask him, but she didn't know which one to ask. Did he come to the library often, and she just never noticed him for unknown reasons? Was he a local that she somehow didn't know existed? She couldn't force any words out of her mouth.

" I can see why. This is a pleasant place, Miss…" he furrowed his brow as his voice trailed off slightly. "How rude of me. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."

"Um..." She tightened the grip on her book. There wasn't anything to be afraid of. It was just that this man's presence seemed so intense to her. She naturally felt a bit self-conscious. "...Courtney Hepburn."

He didn't respond for a few seconds as if he was trying to let the name sink in. Courtney's shoulders tensed in anticipation.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Courtney. I am Maximilian Roth." He extended his right hand towards her. "Though most refer to me as Maxie. You may do so if you wish."

Courtney shifted her gaze to Maxie's outstretched hand and stared at it with bewilderment. It would impolite to ignore it, she supposed. But she hesitated for a second before slipping her right hand into his. He squeezed her hand firmly and shook it.

Courtney winced. His hand was absolutely freezing! It almost felt as if he had just sprayed liquid nitrogen onto their hands. She glanced up at him in surprise, but his calm expression didn't even falter. She tried to keep a straight face as well.

Time was moving at such an excruciatingly slow pace... It was like she was moving through jell-o...

Courtney exhaled as she felt her hand being released from his ice-cold grip.

"It's very nice to meet you too... Maxie..." she managed to utter. It felt a little strange referring to him by a nickname, but he gave her permission to do so… Hopefully she didn't come across as rude.

Courtney still saw no outward signs of emotion from Maxie as he tucked the book about volcanoes under his left arm. The conversation seemed to have reached a grinding halt, and she wondered if the conversation was worth continuing.

Apparently it wasn't, since Maxie immediately shifted his attention to his wristwatch and let out a sigh.

"Well, I suppose I should leave you to your book," he said. "I have some business to attend to."

"Sure..." Courtney responded. "Enjoy your book..." She eyed the bright red cover of Maxie's book, which was a striking resemblance to his hair.

Maybe when he returned it, she would take a moment to browse through the contents herself. She made a mental note to do so.

"You as well, Courtney," Maxie replied, before swiftly heading down the aisle.

She didn't move a muscle as she watched him walk away. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him, even though her mind was ordering her to just read the darn book in her hands.

 _You know nothing about him. Stop staring. There's no plausible reason to behave this way._

Her thoughts were racing... Why were they racing...?

Maxie disappeared behind another row of books, and Courtney forced her attention back towards her book. She flipped the book open and fingered through the pages to try to occupy herself.

She was looking at the neatly-inked words on the pages, but she wasn't reading anything. None of the words registered.

Maybe she was just tired. She couldn't focus at all.

There was only a single thought in her mind seemed to make everything else around her seem negligible and irrelevant.

Courtney didn't know why she really even cared. But somehow she did.

Now she could attach a name to that enigmatic man. And it had been seared into her memory.

 _Maximilian Roth_.


End file.
